Compartmental lamp



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,238

c. E GODLEY COMPARTMENTAL LAMP Filed Feb. 24. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ivents/m Czar/e E Gad AX Feb. 7, I928.

c. E. GODLEY COMPARTMENTAL LAMP Filed Feb. 24. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented F eb. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT or FICE.

CHARLES E. GODLEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

v C. M.- HALL LAMP COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

COMPARTMENTAL LAMP.

Application filed February 24, 1926. Serial No. 90,319.

My invention relates to compartmental lamps, its general object beingthose of providing simple, inexpensive and easily assembled means forpartitioning the lamp casing, for supporting the lamp bulbs in operatlverelation to the several compartments into .which the casing ispartitioned off, and for aifording controlled circuit connections to theseveral lamp bulbs.

More particularly, my invention provides a simple partitioning memberwhich Wlll eflectively divide a lamp casing into three compartments,which will support two of the needed lamp bulbs in their operativepositions, and which will also retain a lens or window pane in itsnormal position.

My invention also relates to a compartmental lamp having a single plugholder mounted on its casing, and provides an arrangement whereby thecontrolled circuit connections to a plurality of lamp bulbs can be madeby a unitary circuit connecting device mounted in the same holder,regardless of the directions in which the several lamp blubs extend.Moreover, my invention provides a lamp assembly in which a bulb holderfunctions also for retaining such a circuit connecting device in theplug holder.

Still further and also more detailed objects will appear from thefollowing specification and from the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a front elevation of a three-compartment vehicle tail lampembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary and enlarged horizontal. section taken along theline 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4.- is a similary enlar ed front elevation of the same lampwith t edoor or cover member detached.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the game lamp, taken along the line5-5 of Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the partitioning member.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of casing, drawn on a reduced scale.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal section through an end portion of oneconducting member of the circuit connector.

The illustrated embodiment shows a horizontally elongated casing 1provided at its the lamp mouth with a tubular portion 2 upon which theinner member 3 of the lamp door is sleeved. This door carries a beehivetail light lens 4 disposed below the center of the door, and a pair ofrelativel higher signal lenses disposed at opposite sides of the lens 4and having more elevated axes. The bottom of the casing has the partbehind the portion 4 formed into portions of cylinders concentric withthe three lenses-namely the portions 5, 6 and 7 of Fig. 7and the middleportion 6 has a window aperture through which light from a central lampbulb can reach the license late which is usually positioned below sucacross this aperture is a curved glass pane 8 which preferably has adownwardly projecting portion 8 extending through the said aperture andvcorresponding in size to the latter so as to prevent the pane fromshifting in position.

To divide the casing into three compartments respectively behind thethree lenses, I provide a partitioning member which can be formed from asingle piece of sheet metal as shown in Fig. 6. ally U-shaped inhorizontal section and includes a flat back 8 adapted to bear flatwiseagainst the back 1'. of the casing, and a pair of shanks or wings 9 and10 extending forwardly from the ends of the back ortion 8, each of thesewings being shape so as to reach to the top and bottom walls of thecasing and to the door. Each wing 9 and 10 has at its forward edge apair of ears 11 provided with threaded receiving screws 13 which extendthrough the door and detachably secure the latter to the partitioningmember. Eack wing 9 and 10 also has adjacent to its lower edge a finger14 which projects downwardlyat an incline towards the other member andengages the top of the window pane 8, and each finger is threaded toreceive a screw 15 which extends through the bottom casing portion 6 andclamps the pane to the casing.

Each of the wings 9 and 10 is provided with integral bulb-holderformations for engaging the base (15, 17) of one of the two lamp bulbswhich have their filaments respectively disposed behind the signallenses 5 and 6. Each set of these bulb-holder formations preferablyincludes a pair of wings 18 projecting into the s ace between the twowebs and provided wit bayonet slots hav- This member is gener- 4perforations 12 for disclosed in my copending application No.

83,749 on lamp-bulb holders, filed January 25, 1926.

' To support the medially disposed third lamp bulb 20, I provide aseparately constructed bulb-holder having similar anchoring slots 21 andtilt-preventing webs 22 as shown in Fig. 5, and having two legs 23fastened to the casing back 1 by screws 24 which extend through thepartition back 8 and clamp this partition back between the casing backand the feet of the said legs. To eliminate a fastening screw for thethird leg 25 of this same bulbholder, I form the last named leg so thatits foot 26 engages the rear edge of the glass pane 8 and provide thebottom of the partition back with a forwardly offset finger 27 (Fig. 5)which bears against the foot 26 and clamps the latter against the edgeof the window pane.

Every one of the lamp bulbs is desirably of the usual Ediswan type withone end of its filament grounded through the usual metal collar on thebase of the lamp bulb and through the corresponding metallic holder to,the metal lamp casing which is grounded according to the usual practiceto the common terminal of the three lamp circuits. Then I provide thecircuit connections to the axial base terminals of the three lamp bulbsby conductors forming part of a unitary circuit-connecting device whichhas its insulating body socketed in a tubular plug holder 29. This plugholder extends through alined perforations in the backs of the casingand the partitioning member and is fastened to one of these, and has theusual rearwardly opening bayonet slots 30 for interlocking withanchoring pins on a tenninal plug to which the wires from threeseparately controlled circuits are connected.

The circuit-connecting device is preferably of the general typedisclosed in m co pending application No. 92,343, filed March 4, 1926,and includes an insulating body 31 which is partly socketed in thetubular plug holder 29 and which has a longitudinal groove 32 entered byan indentation 33 of the holder .(Fig. 5) for preventing rotation of theinsulator. Extending longitudinally through this holder and fastened toit by pins 34 (Fig. 3) are a pair of conductors 35 and 36, each of whichis bent so as to dispose its forward end axially of one .of the laterallamp bulbs 16 and 17. Each of these conductors has its forward endformed into a cylinder housing the enlarged inner end of a plunger 37which is continuously pressed endwardly of the conductor by a spring 38(as shown in Fig. '8) so as to be pressed against the axial terminal 28of the adjacent lamp bulb.

The other end of each conductor is similarly formed and provided with arearwardly spring-pressed plunger 39 for engaging one terminal 40 of anordinary three-wire plug 41 interlocked with the plug holder 29. A thirdand shorter conductor 42 carries a spring-pressed plunger 43 forengaging the third terminal of the plug and has a resilient arm 44fastened to its forward end for engaging the axial terminal of the lowerand medial lamp bulb 20. To retain the insulator of this circuitconnector in the tubular plug holder 29, I provide the separately formedbulb-holder with an arm 45 engaging the front end of this insulator asshown in Figs. 4 and 5.

\Vith the lamp thus constructed, the bulbholder 29 can first be securedto the back of the partitioning member. After the latter is slid intothe casing, the insulator of the circuit connecting device is slid intothe plug holder, the glass pane 8 is slipped into place, and thethree-legged lower bulb-holder is then fastened to the casing by meansof the screws 24, thereby firmly securing the parti-, tions togetherwith all three of the bulbholders and the circuit connecting device intheir operative positions. Then the attaching of the lower screws 15 tothe feet 14 of the partition Wings clamps the glass pane firmly to thebottom of the casing.

By varying the lengths and the curvature of the bends in the conductingmembers 35 and 36 I can readily adapt these to varying spacings of thepartitiogwings and even to different angles between the axes of the plugholder and of the lateral lamp bulbs, so that my construction can beemployed in lamps of widelyvarying sizes and arrangements. Since theassembling is exceedingly simple and since the associated partsautomatically aline in operative positions, I can also employ cheaplabor for the assembling.

However, I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction andarrangement y above disclosed, or to the particular shape andarrangement of the illustrated lamp, as

many changes might obviously be made without departing either from thespirit of my invention or from the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a compartmental lamp, a forwardly open casing, a partitioningmember of substantially U-shaped cross-section disposed within thecasing and having its middle portion secured to the back of the casing,the said portion being shorter than the casing and the said memberhaving its legs extending forwardly to the mouth of the casing, each ofthe said legs having a bulb holder integral therewith, a third bulbholder mounted on the said back, and an attaching-plug holder fast onthe middle portitioning member to the back of the casing.

3. In a compartmental lamp, a forwardly open casing, a pair of spacedpartitions each provided with a perforation and with-a bulbholder at theperforation, two lamp bulbs respectively mounted in the said holders andhaving opposed base ends both extending into the space between thepartitions, a third bulb-holder mounted in the said space, a lamp bulbmounted in the third bulb-holder,

and a unitary circuit connector having three circuit terminal membersextending through the back of the casing and each including a resilientportion disposed in the said space and engaging a base of one lamp bulb.

4. In a lamp, a forwardly open casing having an aperture in its bottom,a glass pane held against the said bottom as a closure for the aperture,and a bulb-holder disposed above the glass pane; the bulb-holder havingat one side of its axis a pair of feet secured to the back of the casingand having at the opposite side of the said axis another foot engagingan edge of the pane to prevent the holder from rocking about its firstnamed foot.

5. In a compartmental lamp, a forwardl open casing, a partitioningmember includ ing a back portion secured to the back of the casing and apair of partitions extending forwardly respectively from the ends of thesaid back port1on, the casing having an aperture in its bottom,and aglass pane disposed Within the casing and closing the aperture, eachpartition having an integral finger en gaging the glass pane to pressthe latter against the bottom of the casing.

' 6. A compartmental lamp as per claim 5, including screws respectivelyconnecting the bottom of the casing with the said fingers for clampingthe fingers against the pane.

7 In a lamp, a compartmental casing having a tubular holder projectingfrom its back and opening into one compartment of the casing andprovided behind the said back with means for engaging a wire terminalplug, lamp bulbs having their bulbs respectively in the severalcompartments of the casing and havingtheir base ends rojectin into thecompartment into which the tubular holder opens a circuit connector forconnectin the terminals of the wire terminal respective y with the saidlamp base ends, and bulb-holders for respectively supporting the lampbulbs, the circuit connector being slidably inserted in the tubularholder rear- Wardly from the interior of the casing, and means carriedby the casing for limiting the said rearward insertion, one of thebulbholders having a portion engaging the circuit connector to hold thelatter in operative position.

8. In a compartmental lamp, a forwardly open casing having a perforationin its back; a partitioning member including a back portion and apartition extending forwardly from the back portion and provided with abulb-holding formation; a lamp bulb mounted in the bulb-holdingformation, a tubular holder secured to the said back portion andextending rearwardly therefrom through the said perforation in thepartition, an insulator mountedin the tubular holder; andcircuitconnecting means including a conducting member mounted in theinsulator and a pair of spring-pressed plungers mounted respectively inthe ends of the conducting member, one of the said plungers having itsfree end extending rearwardly within the said tubular holder, theconducting member extending inwardly of the casing beyond the saidholder and being bent to dispose its other end adjacent to and in axialalinement with the bulb-holding formation, the other of the said'plungers being mounted in the said other end and directly engaging thebase end of the lamp bulb.

9. In a lamp, a casing having a wall thereof provided with an aperture,a tubular holder extending through the aperture, a lamp-bulb holdersupported within the easing and spaced from the holder, and an insulator slidably inserted in the holder from p the inner end of thelatter, the insulator having a stop formation to limit the extent of thesaid slidable insertion, the lamp-bulb holder having a portion engagingthe insulator to retain the latter in the holder.

10. A compartmental lamp as per claim 3, in which the circuit connectoris inserted rearwardly through the back of the casing,

there being means on the casing engaging a portion of thecircuit'connector to limit the extent of such rearward insertion, the

said third bulb-holder having a portion thereof engaging the circuitconnector to prevent forward movement of the circuitconnector.

' 11. In a lamp, a forwardly open casing having an aperture in itsbottom, a glass pane extending through the aperture and having anenlarged upper portion seated upon the up er face of the said bottom,and a bulb ho der having a pair of feet secured at one side of its axisto the back of the casing and having at the other side of the said axisanother foot clamped between the said back and an edge of the saidenlarged portion of the glass pane. v

12. In a lamp, a forwardly open casing, a tubular holder extendingthrough the back of the casing, a plurality of lamp bulbs supportedwithin the casing with their axes transversebf and radiating from theaxis of the said holder, and a unitary circuit connector; the saidconnector comprising an insulator mounted in the said holder, conductingmembers each having a portion extending through the insulator parallelto the axis of the tubular holder and another portion disposed in axialalinement with one of the lamp bulbs, and spring-pressed plungersrespectively mounted in the last named portions'of the conductingmembers and each engaging the base of one of the lamp bulbs.

Signed at Detroit, Michigan, February 20 CHARLES E. GODLEY.

